Harry Potter: New Journeys: Beginning
by knightblazer85
Summary: A journey starts with but a single step. In the wake of Sirius' death Harry is about to learn this only too well. Two shot leading to an big Saga. Complete. First story up soon. an announcement to the Readers
1. Prologue

Prologue: **Journey's Beginnings**

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...

* * *

_

Harry sighed wearily Those words had been running through his mind for days. Sirius was dead, Voldemort was public. And on top of ALL that. He had to become a victim a murderer.

"_And Dumbledore knew"_ He thought "Dumbledore's known all this time. All this time he's lied to me and manipulated me"

But at the same time it made no sense to him, if Dumbledore knew the prophecy pointed to him after his parents were killed then why did the old man leave him with the Dursley's? Why not train him? Why not prepare him for Voldemort instead of leaving him to rot at the Dursley's?

Harry sighed again as he wandered the corridors. He hadn't been able to sleep with the prophecy rolling around inside his head since his talk with Nick a few hours earlier. He didn't believe it. He didn't believe that there was no way back from the veil. And if it took Harry the rest of his days he would find it.

"Sniff sniff my pretty, find the nasty brat for me, we may yet have a chance to use my precious devices before our years run done"

"Shit" Harry hissed as he tightened his grip on the invisibility cloak draped across his shoulders. Flitch was too close for him to run.

Then he heard a familiar trilling sound.

* * *

Looking up Harry saw Fawkes hovering in front of him.

The Phoenix hovered only for a second before it landed on Harry's invisible shoulder and they both vanished in a flash of flame a split second before the light of Flitch's torch hit them.

* * *

Fawkes reappeared in an empty and dusty classroom and Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off "What the hell is going on Fawkes?"

"A good question Mr Potter"

Harry spun around to the speaker in time to see Professor McGonagall, wearing a night grown and a robe, standing with her arms folded across her chest.

"P…Professor" Harry stuttered in shock as he lowered his wand

"Why aren't you in the tower Mr Potter?" McGonagall asked

"I…couldn't sleep so I went for a walk under the cloak" Harry replied "Fawkes brought me here when Flitch almost caught me"

Then Harry looked around himself, and saw Fawkes sitting perched on top of a familiar frame.

The inscription was just as he remembered.

_Erised straeh ruoy tub, ecaf ruoy ton wohs I_

(A\N I think that's what it saidI haven't the Phosopher's Stone in a while)

The only difference was that he was taller

"I show not your face, but your hearts desire" he whispered

"Do you have any idea where we are Potter?" McGonagall asked

"Location wise…no" Harry replied "But if you're wondering what we're in the room with then the mirror is called the Mirror of Erised. The Mirror of Desire"

"How do you know?" McGonagall asked

"I found it in my first year" Harry replied as he looked around again, finding no door he asked "How exactly did you end up here Professor?"

"The same way as you" McGonagall replied "Fawkessnatched mefrom my quartersand then vanished before he brought you here"

"What's the deal Fawkes?" Harry asked

The Phoenix simply responded by bending down and tapping his beak to the glass of the mirror.

"I think he wants me to look in the mirror" Harry concluded as he stepped forward.

"Be careful Harry" McGonagall warned.

Harry nodded as he stepped in front of the glass.

And just as before he saw his parents standing behind his reflection, but he also saw Sirius standing with his arms around his parent's shoulders and smiling out at him.

* * *

It was an image Harry knew he would be able to physically touch for a long time to come.

"_But before that time comes"_ Harry thought "_I'll fulfil Dumbledore's precious prophecy"_

"Your time is coming Tom" Harry whispered "I promise"

Almost as soon as the words had left Harry's mouth his wand exploded in a blinding light and Fawkes began to trill and at the same time Harry's parents and Sirius smiled warmly at him and the mirror began to ripple and glow.

* * *

A strange impulse flowed through for a moment before he reached out his right hand and touched the glass and in that instant he knew what he had to do.

His hand seemed to sink into the glass, like water before he looked at McGonagall.

"What on earth are you doing Harry?" she demanded

"Finding my destiny" Harry said in a monotone voice, then he smiled and said "Finding what I need to do a job I never signed up for. Could you look after Hedwig for me please? I'm not sure how long I'll be gone"

"I don't understand" McGonagall said "What is happening"

"_What needs to happen"_ another voice replied "_Facing the Dark Wizard with the magic of this world will claim his life. If the boy is to succeed he must seek a new path with a new guide"_

"I'll…see you when I see you I guess" Harry said "Look after my Firebolt too. I'll want it returned when I get back"

* * *

Minerva McGonagall watched helplessly as the son of her two favourite students stepped through the mirror, and then she gasped sharply. For a brief instant on the other side she saw Harry standing with James and Lily Potter and Sirius Black before the apparitions vanished and she was along with Fawkes and the Mirror.

She watched Fawkes for a moment before the swan sized bird burst into flames and a cloud of ashes fell to the floor, carrying with them a phoenix chick.

* * *

When Minerva checked on the Gryffindor Boy's Dorms the following morning, praying that what she experienced the night before had been a dream she discovered that all of Harry'smost preciousbelongings were gone, the Marauder's map, his photo album, his cloak and his broom servicing kit, along with his Firebolt broom which she had gone to retrieve from the Dungeons, were all gone, his faithful owl Hedwig was gone too, in her place was a pile of ashes beneath herperchin the Owllery floor.

* * *

It was true.

Harrison James Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was gone.

At breakfast Dumbledore announced to the students that Harry was missing.

Reactions were mixed. Most were shock, some were scorn, some even said he had run away because he was afraid of You Know Who, or even worse that he had gone to join the Dark Lord, this resulted in several members of the DA hexing certain Slytherins and Ravenclaws, along with Zachariah Smith and Severus Snape, who's nose and right forearm were broken by Minerva and Hagrid for calling Harry an _attention seeking coward_ Madame Pomphrey said she would never be able to get his nose completely straight again. This in turn resulted in a full scale war in the Great Hall that not even Dumbledore could control.

Several Death Eaters were revealed that day. Not among them though, was Draco Malfoy and not all of them from Slytherin.

Amidst the chaos of the fighting, Minerva McGonagall sat and pondered Fawkes' words from the previous night. By the Phoenix's own admission, Harry had been sent to another world in order to find the power to fight the Dark Lord. Minerva wondered if he would be safe, would he be the same person when he returned or would the experience harden him even further than the recent years. Minerva sighed to herself as she rose to her feet and stepped over the still bleeding Severus and made a move to restore order. But her eyes moved towards a spot near the bottom of the Gryffindor Table where a wonderful boy once sat and thought to herself "_Good luck Harry"

* * *

_

Authors Notes: Done.

Next time we have a reunion.


	2. Chapter 1: Reunion and New Beginnings

Chapter 1: **Reunion** **and New Beginnings**

The place Harry found himself in was very different from what he had been expecting.

He had been expecting some grand castle.

But instead Harry found himself in the living room of a warm home, the fire blazing in the hearth, a portrait of a smiling family on the mantel.

He could tell that the home was that of a wizard family because there were moving photos of a Gryffindor House team on the wall smiling and laughing.

* * *

"That's from our graduating year" a familiar voice behind him said. 

Harry spun around to see Sirius standing behind him smiling.

Harry took one look at his godfather and yelled "SIRIUS" as he leapt over the sofa and hugged the wizard.

"I missed you too pup" Sirius smiled.

Harry's response was to draw back from Sirius and punch him in the arm.

"What was that for?" the Dog Animagus demanded

"I'd assume it was for being stupid enough to forget everything Mad-Eye taught us and get yourself killed by your whacky bitch of a cousin" another familiar voice replied.

Harry looked past Sirius, to see two people standing behind him.

* * *

The two people were identical to the reflections he had seen only minutes before and the images that were produced by the Priori Incantum, virtually identical to the photos he had of them right down to the smallest detail. 

Slowly Harry stepped away from Sirius and took a tentative step towards his parents. All the while his parents gazing into his eyes

Harry took a few more steps, until he was within arms reach of the people who gave their lives to protect his.

He was about to touch them when he stopped, realizing that going in blind had almost gotten him killed two days earlier "How do I know it's really you? Show me something that not even Wormtail knew about"

"Like what?" James asked

"The wings and the mark sounds good" Sirius said

"Wings?" James asked

"My Phoenix Animagus stupid" Lily said as she slapped her husband across the back of the head, then she closed her eyes and concentrated, after a moments her body began to shrink and change, her clothes faded away as feathers too their place and her mouth and nose elongated into a sharp golden beak.

And a few moments later, Lily Potter was replaced by a magnificent crimson Phoenix.

"Good" Harry nodded as he turned to James "Now the mark"

James nodded as he lifted his shirt to his chest and turned slightly, revealing a tan birthmark in the shape of a crescent moon along the line of his lowest rib. Right were Remus has told him, it was part of the reason his father was given the nickname of _Crescent_ by Harry's grandfather.

* * *

Harry looked between the phoenix and the mark for a moment, he recognised the phoenix immediately but said nothing as his mother reverted to human form before saying "This is real. Isn't it?" 

"It's real son" James said with a warm smile "We're back, and we're never leaving you again"

Harry's silent response was to hug his father tight.

A few moments passed before James ruffled his son's hair and said "Hate to ruin the moment son, but I think your mum wants a hug too"

Harry moved away from his father and turned to his mother.

She was standing there, identical to the pictures, identical to how he had imagined her.

She stood statue still as he approached, Harry could tell she was afraid, scared that he would reject her, that he wouldn't love her.

But Harry new that would never happen.

"Mum?" he whispered

"My little boy" Lily whispered "My sweet little Harry" then she opened her arms and engulfed him in a tight hug and then broke down crying.

Harry wrapped his arms around her and then smiled before he glared at Sirius and said "I though my mother was the next Molly Weasley, that she never cried"

"Crying doesn't make your mum like her" Sirius replied "Now I don't mean to ruin the moment, but maybe we should get down to business"

"Agreed" James said as he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder "We have a lot to discuss son"

* * *

Harry nodded as he let got of his mother and led her over to the sofa, then looked at Sirius and said "An explanation would be nice, answers to my questions would be better" 

"Ask your questions then pup" Sirius replied

"Where are we?"

"We're in an exact replica of my grandparents home in Godric's Hollow" James replied "In a realm that no living being, man or wizard, has ever entered called the _Dimensional Interval_"

"And what exactly is that?" Harry asked

"It's a realm that exists between life and death" James replied "Sort of a limbo. Where powerful beings reside, beings that have a power no wizard can fathom, the power that ancient civilizations across the expanse of the universe have called Gods"

"Gods?" Harry asked

"A prime example would be the Norse King of the Gods, Odin" Lily said "in ancient times Odin was a mighty wizard king. But when he fell, Odin received a great honour. He was made a Guardian"

"A guardian?" Harry asked

"The Guardians are entities that exist in this realm which people with the correct capabilities can call to the physical world" Lily said "They have the power to command immense elemental forces, fires hot enough to melt steel, tides with the power to wash away an island, the power of wind, earth, ice, thunder, light and shadow, all these forces are at the Guardians command"

"Those guardians were revered in mythologies on earth millennia after the ancient world fell" Sirius said "And in the days before that, in the days when muggles and magical people lived together there were those with the ability to call on the power the Guardians possessed. But that power has long since passed into myth and legend"

"Where do you come into this?" Harry asked

"Well" James said "Because we died an…what was it Shiva called it? An _unclean death_? Yeah that's it. Because we died an unclean death, the leader of the Guardians, the Dragon King Bahamut, gave us a choice. Death, to pass on and continue our story on another road. Or to remain here in the Interval and watch over you, as Guardians"

* * *

Harry gaped at his parents for a moment, as if trying to determine if they were serious. 

"Oh they're serious Harry" Sirius said "I got the same deal"

"But how?" Harry asked

"Some of the previous guardians had chosen to retire and take their reward" Lily said "They were looking for someone to pass on the mantel of their power to, we accepted"

"But where do I come in?" Harry asked "I get that you stayed to watch me, but where do I come into this deal?"

"Dumbledore told you the Prophecy" Sirius said "About how you would have a power Tom didn't know right?"

"Yeah" Harry said "But I don't understand what it could be, I mean, the snake has fifty years of training in the dark arts on me. I don't think that love crap Dumbledore's been spouting will save me a fourth time"

"Which is why we brought you here" Sirius said "After speaking with Bahamut, it's been agreed that you'll be sent on a little trip"

"It's not so little Sirius" James said "While it may only be a year on earth, it could be a lot more to Harry"

"How many more?" Harry asked

"Ramuh's estimates indicated somewhere in the region of two to five years total on four different worlds" James sighed

"And what exactly would I do on these worlds?" Harry asked

"Train I guess" James replied "Find places to learn skills to help you survive"

"But based on what we've observed of Gaia, Spira, Terra and Filgaia, they're not exactly pleasure spots" Lily interrupted "I think Bahamut may intend to drop you into place in order to help resolve the heavy duty problems that are popping up"

"Alone?" Harry gaped, saving one world was one thing, but_four?_ That sounded insane.

"Of course not" James laughed "If Bahamut even contemplated that I'd kill 'im. No you won't be working alone. Bahamut usually works this type of thing to bring together a group of people with common goals and ideals. You'll probably end up somewhere close to someone who'll be at the front line"

"I understand now" Harry said with a slight smile, but then a thought occurred to him "What about you guys?"

"Well that's why you're going to Gaia first" Sirius said "The three of us are guardians so you need to learn how to summon us in combat"

"But until you learn to do that" James said "The only way you'll be able to see us in your meditations and your dreams?"

* * *

Harry nodded as he sat back, a sly grin crossing his face "Since you'll be overtaking my nightly mental rendezvous with Thomas I suppose you can make yourself useful" 

"How?" Sirius asked

"By teaching me the useful stuff I'm gonna miss over the next year" Harry grinned "Like Occulmency and some decent duelling spells wouldn't hurt"

"We can do that" Sirius nodded

"And I want to become an Animagus" Harry continued

James nodded absently and said "No prob… huh?"

"I…want…to be…an animagus" Harry replied slowly "By the end of this year I want to be able to replace the stick figure I have for an excuse of abody with fur, feathers or scales"

James simply gaped at Harry with a stunned expression on his face, at which Sirius howled with laughter.

"We can do that Harry" Lily said with a smile

"OK then" Harry agreed when Sirius calmed down "When do I have to be under way?"

"The sooner you go the sooner we can get to work" Lily said

As Harry nodded Sirius said "After Fawkes brought you here for us I took the liberty of raiding your trunk and picking up some things"

"That's something I wanted to talk about" Harry said "But that can wait for another time, I've got work to do"

James sighed as he saw the resolute look on his sons face "I'm sorry we dragged you into this son"

Harry smiled and shook his head "It's OK dad, I understand that you're trying to keep me alive" then a smirk crossed his face "Besides, I always wanted to travel"

Sirius snorted before he said "I think you're more looking forward to the looks on the Order's faces when you come back a bad ass sex god"

"Well yeah that is a bonus" Harry grinned "But I'm mainly looking forward to seeing Ron's reaction"

"Why?" Lily asked

"For years Ron's been complaining that I get everything and he gets nothing" Harry said "I'm gonna show him what actually working can achieve" but Harry trailed off when he saw the sad expressions on his parents and Sirius' faces "What is it?"

"I'd hoped to avoid telling you until you were on Gaia" Sirius sighed "But since you brought up the subjectthat isn't an option now"

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked

Lily sighed as she said "Harry…do you remember in your first year, before you met her Molly was muttering to herself that the station was packed with Muggles?"

"Yeah" Harry said "It's what led me to ask…" then it dawned on him "You…are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"That your entrance into the magic world was staged" James said "That you were manipulated from day one to keep you a good little Gryffindor, yes, but we're not suggesting it, we're telling you the truth"

* * *

Harry sat back quietly and leaned his head back "The Weasley's? Hermione? Hagrid? All of it?" 

"All of it" Lily said "He's been controlling you since we died. The people in Surrey weren't as blind as they seemed"

"Huh?" Harry asked

"There were several calls made to Social Services about you when you were growing up" Lily said "But every time someone began assembling a case, they talked to Figg and then she instantly told Dumbledore"

"And the old man made the investigation disappear right?" Harry asked

"It only gets better" James growled "It was standard practice during the last war, for everyone of age to make a will, especially in the noble families"

"I take it you did too" Harry said

"With my parents and your two uncles dead I was the only surviving Potter" James said "It was my responsibility to pass everything on"

"What happened to your will?" Harry asked "I'd assume that I would have heard about it"

"You should have" Lily said "We trusted Dumbledore to have it read at Gringotts when you were eleven"

"But he didn't" James continued "Our instructions were that you go nowhere near the Dursley's. But with Sirius in Azkaban and Frank and Alice in St Mungo's. He used his position as head of the Wizamgamott to make sure Remus wouldn't get custody and then made himself your magical guardian. Giving him control of a portion of the Potter Finances until you claimed your inheritance"

"And I very much doubt he ever would have done that" Harry growled "As my magical guardian he could gain access to the financial fault right?"

"Yeah" Sirius said "But with your dad dead only you have access to the Potter properties and investment accounts and the Gryffindor Ancestral Vault"

Harry thought about what Sirius said _Gryffindor_ that meant that the Potter's were related to Godric Gryffindor somewhere down the line.

Then Dumbledore's words in his second year came to mind "_Only a true Gryffindor could pull that one out of the hat"

* * *

_

"You're thinking right son" James said "You are related to Godric Gryffindor. But not through me"

"What?" Harry asked

"The Gryffindor blood comes from my side of the family Harry" Lily said

"Yours?" Harry asked

"Yes" Lily replied "The last ten generations of my dad's family have been squibs thanks to a local Dark Lord who cursed our ancestor about six hundred years ago, sealing his magic with his dying breath. The curse was passed on genetically generation after generation but I'm pretty sure that we've broken the cycle"

"I see" Harry replied "And since there hasn't been a magical heir in the line in that time it was just forgotten that the line was magical"

"Yes" Lily replied "The cousins of that part of the line tried for two hundred years to break the curse. Then they just gave up and sealed the family estate until a Griffin's heir appeared"

_Griffin's Heir_, Harry knew those words too. He had read them in Hogwarts a History during his third year. He read that the Griffin's heir was a wizard or a witch who would stand against the darkness in all its forms, some called the Griffin's heir the true Lord of the Light. The book also mentioned the familiar of Godric Gryffindor, his Phoenix, which, at the same time was said to be the guardian of the Gryffindor line, so Harry just had to ask.

"How did Fawkes react to you when you were at Hogwarts Mum?"

"He liked me a lot" Lily said "There were times when I would wake up to find him perched on my headboard singing. And even after I graduated Fawkes was there to patch me up after fights with the Death Eaters"

"He was also there the night you were born son" James grinned "But coincidentally he didn't show until after you mother was done throttling me and screaming until the entire hospital was deaf"

Sirius laughed to himself as he said "I believe her exact words were 'JAMES YOU FUCKING BASTARD YOU DID THIS TO ME, then you swore that if he ever came near you again you would castrate him with a dull and rusty spoon"

"I wasn't that bad was I?" Lily asked

"You almost crushed my hand" James protested "I couldn't hold anything in my left hand for weeks afterwards, and there were times when I saw you with a spoon that you had this evil look in your eye that made me want to protect my crotch and run"

"It's your own fault" Lily grinned "You weren't exactly complaining about my grip theHalloween before"

"Too much information" Harry groaned

"OK kids I think we've traumatise the kid enough" Sirius laughed "Back to business"

"Right" Lily chuckled before a serious look crossed her face "You're guessing right Harry, Fawkes is the family familiar. It's part of the reason he brought the sorting hat to you in your second year, but because of the bond with Dumbledore he hasn't been able to carry out his base instinct after we died"

"Which is?" Harry asked

"To track you down and bond with you immediately" James said

"I've been using the powers I attained as a Guardian to communicate with him" Lily said "It's how I got him to bring you to the mirror"

"What happened after I left?" Harry inquired

"The great hall became a warzone at breakfast this morning" James replied "Snape is in the Hospital wing with a broken arm and nose, and twelve Death Eaters have been revealed, including two members of the DA and members of all four houses"

"Business as usual then" Harry grinned

"Yeah" Sirius smirked "Your penniless fake of a friend got a Bat Bogey Hex up his broken nose from Ginny for calling you, and I quote 'A gutless Half Blood bastard'"

"Remind me to break his nose when I go back" Harry said "I take it Ginny didn't know"

"Nope" James replied "The only ones who knew were Ron, Hermione and Molly. Not even Arthur knew"

"So the twins, Ginny, Bill and Charlie" Harry said

"All of that was genuine" Lily smiled "I wish I could say the same for the other two. Weasley is an honourless coward and Granger is a disgrace to the word Muggleborn"

"I'll be sure to tell them that" Harry nodded "So what happens now?"

"If you're ready, we can send you on your way to Gaia" James said as a silver flash dropped a backpack onto the coffee table.

"That's all the useful stuff from your belongings" Lily said "Fawkes had the Hogwarts Elves collect it for you"

Harry smiled as he saw his photo album, his invisibility cloak, the Marauders map, his Firebolt, a broom servicing and a sneak-o-scope"

Immediately Harry took the brook kit and the sneak-o-scope and tossed them in the fire "Those were from Weasley and Granger, I have no use for them"

"If you leave the Firebolt here for now I'll try and track down a new servicing kit and then send it on to you" Sirius smiled

"Good" Harry smiled as he stood up and shouldered the backpack "I always wanted to travel when I got older. But I never thought it would be like this"

* * *

"I'm sorry it had to come to this Harry" James said, he had just gotten his son back and now he was losing him again. 

"Don't worry dad" Harry assured "It'll be fun to go somewhere for a change where I'm not an idol or a Messiah, where I can just be a normal guy, even if it's only for a while"

"It won't be an easy life cub" Sirius said

"It can't be any worse than anything else I've run into" Harry shrugged as he shifted the backpack on his shoulders "So how am I leaving?"

"Just step out the front door" Sirius said "And we'll see you tomorrow night"

Harry smiled as he hugged his mother and looked at Sirius "Have the board set up. I want to at least try and keep my skills up so maybe I can crush Weasley when I go back"

"You got it" Sirius smiled

"If you want we can start on the Animagus tomorrow night" James said "The first step will be to learn Occulmency"

"And I can teach you that a hundred times better than that greasy bastard" Lily growled

"Another time Talon" James assured "If we don't let Harry go now he'll never go"

"It's OK mum" Harry assured her "I'll be back tomorrow and you can catch up on fifteen years of mothering and embarrassing me"

Lily laughed to herself as she lightly slapped in on the rear and said "I'll hold you to that my little chickadee. Now get going"

Harry laughed as he walked to the door "I'll see you tomorrow night" then he stepped out into the sunlight of the grassy planes surrounding the house and vanished.

* * *

James and Sirius watched the door close for a moment as Lily asked "Do you think we made the right decision? Sending him out there" 

"It was the only option" Sirius said "If we didn't Dumbledore would have marched Harry off to fight Riddle like a walking bomb. There wouldn't have been anything left of your sons spirit to pass on if the old man had his way"

"We did what was best for Harry, Lils" James assured "This way he at least has a chance of finding a way on his own"

"He's Harry Potter" Sirius said "The kid doesn't know how to fail"

Then Sirius looked out the window with a sad smile "_Godspeed Harry. Come back with a pretty girl that you can defend when I flirt with her"_

Authors Note: Done.

The saga begins. Over the next several dozen chapter and several hundred thousand words. I intend to weave a story of war, drama, romance, monsters, swords and sorcery.

The story will follow the stories of:

Final Fantasy 8  
Final Fantasy 10  
Final Fantasy 7  
Wild Arms 1 (With snippets of Alter Code F thrown in to make things better)  
And  
Final Fantasy 10-2

I'm thinking of doing Legend of Dragoon or maybe Legend of Legaia 2 but I haven't decided yet.

I will be making changes to the different storylines. But the general idea will remain the same. I hope you enjoy it. The Final Fantasy stories will be found in the Final Fantasy Crossover section and I may put the others in the game crossover section I don't know yet. But these stories will be great I promise.

The journey begins at Balamb Garden

Enjoy

Mischief Managed


End file.
